Tarot of the Midnight Masquerade - tarot decks

Price: US $16.62

ProductID: alt1017

The Tarot of the Midnight Masquerade is a limited edition and luxurious set of 28 cards (plus two title cards), presented

in a handpainted, themed wooden box. The deck has 22 majors and four aces based on the Rider-Waite tradition, an

alternate Wheel card and a Happy Squirrel card, drawn in vibrant pastels and featuring masked characters at a ball.

Specifications

Name

Tarot of the Midnight Masquerade

Creators

Robyn Tisch Hollister

Publisher

Self Published 2005

Deck Type

Tarot Deck

Cards

29

Major Arcana

24

Minor Arcana

4

Strength

is 8

Justice

is 11

Card Language

English

Reviews

The cards are quite sturdy yet flexible and are smoothly hand laminated. There are also two cover cards.

The cards are scanned images of paintings by Ms Tisch-Hollister, many of which are highlighted with metallic paints giving them a shimmering quality. The colours are bright and textured and they well suit the theme.

While generally following the Rider-Waite tradition, the cards have a very distinct atmosphere of hidden things, surprises and clever humour. The theme is that of a ball given by Dame Fortuna herself. The images show guests arriving and events at the ball. The colourful cards reflect the theme of costumes, night time splendour, and the unexpected and the hidden. Using this theme, the deck follows some of the traditional cards down some unusual but in the end very satisfying byways.

The one that struck me the first time through was The Tower. It shows a liveried footman carrying a multi-layer wedding cake. A little dog has just caused the footman to stumble and the cake is toppling causing the figures the man and woman on top to fall towards the floor. The humour struck me first and then it occurred to me: this is an irrecoverable event, i.e. the cake cannot be put back together and if he was taking it in to guests, there is no time to create another. It is shocking and it is sudden. Clearly, a true Tower event. I like that, it made me smile but the meaning is clear.

Appropriate to a fancy ball everything shimmers and there are layers of images and mysterious figures waiting to help the reader pull out meaning. The Star, rather than being nude or wearing a simple wrap, is gloriously gowned and feathered and pours one stream into a courtyard pool and the other onto the flagstones. The ‘stars’ could be the diamonds sparkling on her gown, though the night sky is seen to her right.

XX Judgement shows guests arriving at Dame Fortuna’s ball, accompanied by a fairy-like creature. This is leaving of real life and the entry into the spirit realms. A hooded figure looking like the Grim Reaper has been the oarsman who brought them, while a trumpet-playing angel welcomes their arrival. As with all these cards, it merits attention for the beautifully rendered but effective detail.

The High Priestess is a belly dancer (!) but yet wears the triple crescent crown and stands between the black and white pillars holding the scroll of knowledge. There is an innate sexuality to The High Priestess which is sometimes not acknowledged and shows well here.

Each of the Major cards shows a thorough knowledge of tarot combined with a playful artistry and feel for colour and sense of place.

The Aces show the future evolution of the Minor suits. She uses Light (wands, and a prism, magician’s wand, lit candle and a fiery mask as symbols), Glass (cups, with the symbol being a crystal stemmed party goblet, a mirror and gazing ball and a ship with a mask decorated with waves and symbols of the sea), Jewels (coins, to represent the earth element, as well as plants and a mask made of leaves) and Blades (swords with a symbol of air as the feather with a mask shaped like a butterfly for the mental air element). The touches of metallic point are used to fine effect to set off these cards.

The deck is fully usable with just the cards available so far, though she plans to create a full deck in time, hopefully published by one of the big publishing companies for tarot decks.

I found it enchanting with a wonderful air of hidden mysterious happenings to make just right for tarot cards.